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Thursday’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting on Washington wrangling over NASA’s future and other activities from around the world. During a widely reported Senate Commerce, Science and Technology Committee hearing on Wednesday, lawmakers seek assurances from the White House that the president intends to follow the provisions of the 2010 NASA Authorization Act, including those that accelerate the start of a new heavy lift rocket and a multi-purpose crew capsule for future deep space missions. The National Academies of Science initiates a study on the proper size of NASA’s astronaut corps. Astronomers increase their estimates of the number of stars in the universe. The blogosphere hypes a NASA astrobiology study with rumors of alien life.
1. From Space News: During a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing on Wednesday, lawmakers sought assurances from the White House that it will support the provisions of the 2010 NASA Authorization Act — even in the absence of a 2011 budget. Some of the panel members suggested the administration was attempting to undermine provisions that call for an accelerated effort to develop a heavy lift rocket and crew capsule for human deep space missions. John Holdren, the White House science advisor, pledged support for the authorization bill.
http://www.spacenews.com/policy/101201-senators-vow-enforce-nasa-authorization-act.html
A. From Space News: At the same Senate hearing, NASA’s chief finance officer says the agency will not be able to increase funding for the James Webb Space Telescope, which is over budget and a year behind schedule. The price tag has climbed by $1.5 billion to $6.5 billion, and the launching has slipped a year to September 2015. Webb is to replace the Hubble Space Telescope.
http://www.spacenews.com/civil/101201-cash-jwst-unlikely.html
B. From the Orlando Sentinel: At the same hearing, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat who helped to shape the NASA authorization bill this year, accuses the White House of attempting to undermine the law. He and others seek help in removing obstacles from moving forward with a heavy lift rocket and a new crew capsule even if the 2011 budget remains bogged down with continuing resolutions that restrict spending to 2010 levels.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/space/2010/12/nelson-fires-warning-shot-over-nasa-policy.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+news%2Fspace%2Fspace_blog+%28Space+Blog+The+Write+Stuff%29
C. From Florida Today: During the same hearing, Senators say the major features of the new authorization should be carried out, even if NASA’s 2011 budget is restricted to 2011 levels by a series of temporary spending measures. Work on a plan to upgrade the Kennedy Space Center, however, could be slowed temporarily.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20101202/NEWS02/12020318/1086/NASA+funding+at+issue
D. From the New York Times: The Senate panel seeks assurances the White House and NASA will carry out legislation calling for a new heavy lift rocket. Some lawmakers, including members of Congress not on the panel, said they are receiving only vague assurances from NASA leadership on the strategy.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/02/science/space/02nasa.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=NASA&st=cse
E. From Spaceflightnow.com: NASA’s new initiative is off to a slow start because Congress lacks a 2011 appropriations bill, White House science advisor John Holdren reminds the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1012/02congress/
F. From the Wall Street Journal: Some of the obstacles NASA’s new agenda faces are mired in budget legislation. President Obama signed the 2010 NASA Authorization in October. The measure includes a new heavy lift rocket and crew capsule as priorities. However, Congress has not passed a 2011 budget with the funding to execute the program. In the meantime, NASA’s cannot transition away from the troubled Constellation moon program to new initiatives.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704594804575649063948933320.html?KEYWORDS=NASA
2. From the Orlando Sentinel: How large should NASA’s astronaut corps be once the shuttle is retired in 2011? The National Academies of Science is addressing the issue in a 10-month study. The current number, 64, may be too large.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/topic/la-na-astronauts-20101202,0,5646292.story
3. From USA Today: Astronomers are revising upwards their estimates of the number of stars in the universe. The latest estimate, 300 sextillion, represents a three-fold increase.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/2010-12-01-dwarf-stars_N.htm
4. The Blogosphere was off and running this week with rumors that NASA has a major announcement concerning alien life. The announcement Thursday afternoon will likely dash speculation of life on Saturn’s moon Titan.
http://www.exploredeepspace.com/news/nasa-announcement-alien-life-rumors-101201.html
5. From the Associated Press via the Washington Post: A joint U. S- German airborne observatory, SOFIA, makes its inaugural flight on Wednesday from NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center in California. The flight of the infrared observatory on a modified Boeing 747 marks the start of a 20 year observation campaign. One goal is to better understand how stars form.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/01/AR2010120104422.html
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